From Chris Stephen, Guardian:  The Libyan security chief who led an anti-militia crackdown in the wake of the killing of the country’s US ambassador has been assassinated in Benghazi, raising questions about the government’s ability to impose the rule of law.

Colonel Farag al-Dersi, Benghazi’s chief of security, was shot dead by three gunmen in the eastern Libyan city where ambassador Chris Stevens and three fellow diplomats died after the US consulate was overrun on 11 September. The colonel had been instrumental in seeking to curb the power of extremist militias in Benghazi, banning some and trying to bring others under control of government-appointed officers.

His death is the latest in a string of killings and car bombings in the city, most of them targeting officials who had high-profile roles in the former administration of Muammar Gaddafi. To date none of the assassins have been put on trial.

The latest killing highlights the problems faced by Libya’s new cabinet, which was sworn-in last week, in tackling the country’s security vacuum. Police and army functions remain distributed among a patchwork of militias. Some, notably those in the former key rebel cities of Misrata and Zintan, are well organised, but other parts of the country remain chaotic.  (photo: Tunisia Times)

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